An approach for the modeling and evaluation of reliability and availability of systems using the knowledge of the reliability growth of their components is presented. Detailed models of reliability and availability for single-component systems are derived under much weaker assumption than usually considered. These models, termed knowledge models, enable phenomena to be precisely characterized, and a number of properties to be deduced. Since the knowledge models are too complex to be applied in real life for performing predictions, simplified models for practical purposes (action models) are discussed. The hyperexponential model is presented and applied to field data of software and hardware failures. This model is shown to be comparable to other models as far as reliability of single-component systems is concerned: in addition, it enables estimating and predicting the reliability of multicomponent systems, as well as their availability. The transformation approach enables classical Markov models to be transformed into other Markov models which account for reliability growth. The application of the transformation to multicomponent systems is described. >


The concept of the regulatory compact has long underpinned regulation of electric utilities: In exchange for a government-conferred monopoly over electricity services, the utility company submits itself to substantial government oversight, which — in theory at least — ought to prevent the emergence of monopolistic prices and other anticompetitive inefficiencies. Nevertheless, as this Article reveals, existing regulatory treatment of electric utilities fails to deliver on the public benefits of the regulatory compact. The Article supports this conclusion by highlighting previously-overlooked indicators of utility companies' inefficiencies, and it attributes those inefficiencies to information asymmetries and regulatory capture.

Having demonstrated problems with the existing regulatory compact, this Article then turns to potential solutions. In so doing, the Article draws from a seemingly unlikely source: private equity. Though superficially distinct, the "business" of private equity actually shares important functional similarities with the task of public utility regulation, as private equity managers, like public utility regulators, must "oversee" the businesses without altogether taking over management of the company itself. Given these shared challenges, public utility regulators would do well to utilize tools that have yielded success within the private-equity sphere. Specifically, the Article points to two such tools — zero-based planning ("ZBP") and complete transparency — that, it argues, will enable regulators, intervenors, and non-traditional market participants to innovate and ensure a more cost-effective energy transition.

While this would be a radical departure from current regulatory proceedings, it is necessary if the regulatory compact is to survive in a water- and carbon-constrained world. Utilities, through their actions in rate cases, are entrenching their positions, requiring both more time and money for any transition to the new energy system to occur. Adoption of these changes, fostering innovation and allowing a natural monopoly to exist only where explicitly necessary to meet grid and customer needs, may be enough to ensure the regulatory compact works in the public interest going forward.


Seasonal variation in the nutrient composition of Mytilus coruscus (thick shell mussel), cultivated in Shengsi Islands, Zhejiang Province, China, was investigated in this study. Proximate composition, mineral and amino acid concentrations, as well as the compositions of the lipid and fatty acid of thick shell mussels were analyzed. Proximate composition and mineral contents were seasonally varied significantly except for calcium (Ca) and lead (Pb). Glycine was the predominant amino acid in mussels throughout all seasons, while lysine, threonine, phenylalanine, and arginine were the main essential amino acids. The predominant lipids were phospholipids, followed by triacylglycerols and sterol esters. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) predominated over saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids throughout the year. Docosahexaenoic acid (12.44-18.34% of total fatty acids) and eicosapentaenoic acid (10.79-14.60%) were the most abundant PUFA. Significant seasonal variations were observed in the compositions of most amino acids, lipid classes, and fatty acids. Cultivated Chinese thick shell mussels represent a source of the health benefiting long chain n-3 PUFA, essential amino acids, and minerals for human consumption.


Louis H. Sullivan's midwestern banks have not been treated kindly by history. Dismissed by a generation of modernist critics as the sad swansong of a troubled late career, they have begun to attract a different kind of notice. Lauren Weingarden provides the first complete documentation of all eight banks, including the details of their commission, and argues persuasively for their establishment in the pantheon of lost architectural masterworks. The book is enriched by the recovery of Henry Fuermann's photo-archive and the inclusion of 15 previously unpublished color photographs by Crombie Taylor.What emerges from this study of the programs, plans, interiors, and ornamentation is a new appreciation of Sullivan's overall cultural and architectural intentions in these extraordinary buildings. Weingarden finds a consistency between these last works and Sullivan's heroic Chicago period. She shows that the banks were in fact the logical outcome of strategies he had been developing all along: Sullivan continued to be a rationalist planner and technician as well as a brilliant ornamentalist and decorator, and an artful interpreter of regional stylistic traditions. Long regarded as the eccentric addenda to a lapsed career, the bank commissions can now be appreciated as the truest embodiment of the democratic architecture that Sullivan had campaigned for during his entire career.Lauren S. Weingarden is Assistant Professor of Art History at Florida State University. She was recently named a J. Paul Getty Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Michigan. "Louis H. Sullivan: The Banks" was the American nominee among all manuscripts entered for the annual Art History Prize from the International Confederation of Art Dealers. Published with the assistance of the J. Paul Getty Trust.


Children often report that school science is boring and abstract. For this reason, we have developed Life-relevant Learning (LRL) environments to help learners understand the relevance that scientific thinking, processes, and experimentation can have in their everyday lives. In this paper, we detail findings that aim to increase our understanding of the ways in which technology can support learners' scientific practice and their personal meaning in LRL through the integration of two mobile apps into an LRL environment. Our analysis of the artifacts created in these systems show that technology must strike a balance between structured scaffolds and flexible personal design to support learners' scientifically meaningful experiences. Our data suggests that integration of media forms and mobile technology can provide creative ways for learners to express their scientific thinking, make artifacts of their personally meaningful experiences, and individualize artifacts in scientifically meaningful ways.


A population study on five short tandem repeat (STR) loci and five sequence specific polymorphism loci was performed on unrelated Italian Caucasians. Separation and detection of the amplified STR fragments were carried out by high resolution vertical denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and silver staining, respectively. The sequence specific loci were analyzed using the AmpliType PM Typing Kit (Perkin Elmer, Foster City, CA). All loci, except Gc (p = 0.031), meet Hardy-Wienberg expectations. In addition, there is no evidence for association of alleles between pairs of loci. The combined power of discrimination for the five STR loci is 0.9999862 and for the PM loci is 0.99503. The results suggest that these loci may be useful for human identification cases in Italy.


For any metric space $X$, finite subset spaces of $X$ provide a sequence of isometric embeddings $X=X(1)\subset X(2)\subset\cdots$. The existence of Lipschitz retractions $r_n\colon X(n)\to X(n-1)$ depends on the geometry of $X$ in a subtle way. Such retractions are known to exist when $X$ is an Hadamard space or a finite-dimensional normed space. But even in these cases it was unknown whether the sequence $\{r_n\}$ can be uniformly Lipschitz. We give a negative answer by proving that $\operatorname{Lip}(r_n)$ must grow with $n$ when $X$ is a normed space or an Hadamard space.


The rules governing the availability and quality of connections in a wireless network are described by physical models such as the signal-to-interference & noise ratio (SINR) model. For a collection of simultaneously transmitting stations in the plane, it is possible to identify a reception zone for each station, consisting of the points where its transmission is received correctly. The resulting SINR diagram partitions the plane into a reception zone per station and the remaining plane where no station can be heard.
 SINR diagrams appear to be fundamental to understanding the behavior of wireless networks, and may play a key role in the development of suitable algorithms for such networks, analogous perhaps to the role played by Voronoi diagrams in the study of proximity queries and related issues in computational geometry. So far, however, the properties of SINR diagrams have not been studied systematically, and most algorithmic studies in wireless networking rely on simplified graph-based models such as the unit disk graph (UDG) model, which conveniently abstract away interference-related complications, and make it easier to handle algorithmic issues, but consequently fail to capture accurately some important aspects of wireless networks.
 This article focuses on obtaining some basic understanding of SINR diagrams, their properties and their usability in algorithmic applications. Specifically, we have shown that assuming uniform power transmissions, the reception zones are convex and relatively well-rounded. These results are then used to develop an efficient approximation algorithm for a fundamental point location problem in wireless networks.


This article briefly explores the underpinnings of the contemporary capital punishment moratorium movement and examines executive and legislative responses to calls for a halt to executions, including suggestions for studying the death penalty process. Although most investigations focus on select issues like innocence, ineffective counsel, and race bias, this article suggests that a wide-ranging constellation of issues should be investigated in any legitimate attempt to evaluate the administration of the death penalty. The article canvasses this broader sweep of issues, discusses related research evidence, and then considers the policy implications of conducting such a thorough empirical assessment of the administration of capital punishment in this country.


Human trafficking is a complex global crime that exploits women, men and children. Due to the seriousness of the crime, Malaysia enacted the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act in 2007. Despite considering human trafficking to be a priority area for action through the enactment of the 2007 Act, Malaysia is still struggling in translating the intent of the policy into actual implementation. Hence, the study attempts to provide an understanding of human trafficking in Malaysia through the policy implementation lens. It analyses how human trafficking policy is being translated by bureaucratic implementers into action.
The study adopts a combination of qualitative research methods – semi-structured individual and focus group interviews, field observations and written documents – to illustrate human trafficking policy implementation in Malaysia. The target population of the study is government bureaucrats who are involved in implementing human trafficking policy in Malaysia. For the study, 15 government bureaucrats were interviewed regarding their experience on human trafficking policy implementation. To provide multiple perspectives to the study, it also incorporates non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and trafficked victims as participants. Six NGO representatives and five male trafficked victims were interviewed. Three focus group interviews based on different categories of victims were also conducted, which consist of 49 female trafficked victims at selected shelter homes.
There is a dearth of knowledge on human trafficking in Malaysia particularly on policy implementation. Hence, this study contributes to the body of knowledge on human trafficking and the body of work on implementation research. Using the policy implementation lens, the study explores human trafficking phenomenon in Malaysia through four theoretical underpinnings: theory of bureaucracy, implementation study,
iv
inter-organisational coordination and street-level bureaucracy. The 2007 Act becomes the country"s primary policy that provides for the offence of trafficking in persons, the victims" protection and support, and the establishment of Council for Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (MAPO). To ensure effective implementation of the legal mechanisms outlined in the 2007 Act, the government formulated the National Action Plan against Trafficking in Persons (2010-2015) as a guideline to the national initiative in combating human trafficking.
The empirical study identifies seven emerging themes that influence the implementation process of translating the policy intent into actual practice: incomprehensive coordination; incompatible resources; criminal approach; critical information flows; hierarchical control; low discretion; and paradigm shift imperative. These themes emerge through the analysis of research findings against the backdrop of the theoretical underpinnings and past studies. This study indicates the need to address these factors that critically influence human trafficking policy implementation in Malaysia. Understanding the complexity of human trafficking policy implementation entails the development of pragmatic recommendations towards abating the crime.


A 2D segment model for a bi-layer electrolyte solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is developed by coupling the mass transport in the channel and electrode, electrochemical reaction at the electrode/electrolyte interface and charge transport in the bi-layer electrolyte. The ButlerVolmer equation is used to describe the electrochemical reaction. The expressions of electronic current and oxygen partial pressure in the electrolyte are obtained by the 1D charge transport equation and two additional equations based on energy conservation are derived to close the governing equations. The model is validated as the simulation results agree well with the experiment data reported in the literature. The characteristics of a SOFC with an yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ)/samaria doped ceria (SDC) bi-layer electrolyte is parametrically analyzed and the uniformity of the electronic current and oxygen partial pressure in SOFC under various operating conditions is investigated. The results provide fundamental information on the leakage current in a bi-layer electrolyte SOFC and can serve as a useful tool for its design optimization.


Background: A better understanding of the parameters influencing vaccine-induced IgG recognition of individual antigenic regions and their variants within the HIV Envelope protein (Env) can help to improve design of preventive HIV vaccines. Methods: Env-specific IgG responses were mapped in samples of the UKHVC003 Standard Group (UK003SG, n = 11 from UK) and TaMoVac01 (TMV01, n = 17 from Tanzania) HIV vaccine trials. Both trials consisted of three immunizations with DNA, followed by two boosts with recombinant Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara (MVA), either mediating secretion of gp120 (UK003SG) or the presentation of cell membrane bound gp150 envelopes (TMV01) from infected cells, and an additional two boosts with 5 μg of CN54gp140 protein adjuvanted with glucopyranosyl lipid adjuvant (GLA). Env immunogen sequences in UK003SG were solely based on the clade C isolate CN54, whereas in TMV01 these were based on clades A, C, B, and CRF01AE. The peptide microarray included 8 globally representative Env sequences, CN54gp140 and the MVA-encoded Env immunogens from both trials, as well as additional peptide variants for hot spots of immune recognition. Results: After the second MVA boost, UK003SG vaccinees almost exclusively targeted linear, non-glycosylated antigenic regions located in the inter-gp120 interface. In contrast, TMV01 recipients most strongly targeted the V2 region and an immunodominant region in gp41. The V3 region was frequently targeted in both trials, with a higher recognition magnitude for diverse antigenic variants observed in the UK003SG (p < 0.0001). After boosting with CN54gp140/GLA, the overall response magnitude increased with a more comparable recognition pattern of antigenic regions and variants between the two trials. Recognition of most immunodominant regions within gp120 remained significantly stronger in UK003SG, whereas V2-region recognition was not boosted in either group. Conclusions: IgG recognition of linear antigenic Env regions differed between the two trials particularly after the second MVA boost. Structural features of the MVA-encoded immunogens, such as secreted, monomeric gp120 vs. membrane-anchored, functional gp150, and differences in prime-boost immunogen sequence variability most probably contributed to these differences. Prime-boosting with multivalent Env immunogens during TMV01 did not improve variant cross-recognition of immunodominant peptide variants in the V3 region.


Heterogeneous networks, which connect informative nodes containing text with different edge types, are routinely used to store and process information in various real-world applications. Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) and their hyperbolic variants provide a promising approach to encode such networks in a low-dimensional latent space through neighborhood aggregation and hierarchical feature extraction, respectively. However, these approaches typically ignore metapath structures and the available semantic information. Furthermore, these approaches are sensitive to the noise present in the training data. To tackle these limitations, in this paper, we propose Text Enriched Sparse Hyperbolic Graph Convolution Network (TESH-GCN) to capture the graph's metapath structures using semantic signals and further improve prediction in large heterogeneous graphs. In TESH-GCN, we extract semantic node information, which successively acts as a connection signal to extract relevant nodes' local neighborhood and graph-level metapath features from the sparse adjacency tensor in a reformulated hyperbolic graph convolution layer. These extracted features in conjunction with semantic features from the language model (for robustness) are used for the final downstream task. Experiments on various heterogeneous graph datasets show that our model outperforms the current state-of-the-art approaches by a large margin on the task of link prediction. We also report a reduction in both the training time and model parameters compared to the existing hyperbolic approaches through a reformulated hyperbolic graph convolution. Furthermore, we illustrate the robustness of our model by experimenting with different levels of simulated noise in both the graph structure and text, and also, present a mechanism to explain TESH-GCN's prediction by analyzing the extracted metapaths.


In this paper, we measure market access between the United States, the EU, and Japan (the Triad), using the effect of national borders on trade patterns. We investigate overall and industry-level trends of bilateral trade openness and provide explanations for those using proxies for bilateral observed protection (tariffs and NTBs), home bias of consumers, product differentiation, and levels of FDI. The explanations related to actual protection, home bias and substitutability of goods put together explain a large part of the border effect between blocs of the Triad, although they do not explain the whole of the border effect puzzle.


Behaviour-based control architecture has successfully demonstrated their competence in mobile robot development. One key issue in behaviour-based design is the action selection problems. In behaviour-based system, a composite behaviour is implemented as a system using Context Dependent Blending (CDB) that activates the underlying individual behaviours according to the current robot's context in a certain degree. However, the compromises of conflicting behaviours decision might be sub-optimal or even worse than any of the individual commands. It is caused by using the un-optimized fuzzy context rules. Therefore, most of the works in the field generate a certain interest for the study of fuzzy systems with added learning capabilities for best fuzzy context rules. This paper presents the development of CDB with Flexible Fuzzy Context Rules (FFCR) using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) called as Particle Swarm Fuzzy Controller (PSFC). Several experiments with MagellanPro mobile robot have been performed to analyse the performance of the algorithm. A set of Fuzzy Context Rules, called as Single Fuzzy Context Rules (SFCR) are used as comparison. The promising results have proved that the proposed control architecture for mobile robot has better capability to accomplish special task in office-like environment.


The Gaylord I was first performed in the early 80's on the men's high bar. The skill involves performing a 1 l/2 forward tucked salto over the bar to forward swing in hang. At the 1994 World Gymnastics Championships in Brisbane, Mo Huilan, a female gymnast from China, became the first woman to complete the Gaylord I on the uneven bars at a major world championship. Data was collected using two Panasonic F15 video cameras gen-locked and field synchronised operating at 50Hz, 3D reconstruction was performed using the PEAK motion d y s i s system. Raw data was filtered using optimal filter levels as set by the PEAK software. Comparison with values from previous studies of the Gaylord I on men' s horizontal bar were carried out. Centre of mass parameters at release indicate a vertical velocity of 2.2Ws and horizontal velocity of 0.7m/s, with an angle of CM location at release of 380'.Bruggeman et al. (1994) reported values of 4.22m/s, 1.36ds and 392 inches respectively for these three parameters (seven males, 1992 Olympics). Maximal height of the CM was 2.83m. The physical characteristics of this athlete compliment her gymnastic ability in performing this skill. At a height of 1.3mand weight of 29kg Mo is able to produce a small moment of inertia around the transverse axis at release by developing an over arch of the body and flexing at the hip and knee prior to release. Flexion at the hip and knee allows her to reduce the moment of inertia in the upswing allowing her to develop greater release velocity. The position of the low bar also has a negative affect on the performance of this skill on the uneven bars. The Gaylord I was performed with the gymnast was heading back towards the low bar. Consequently, the skill required a great deal of courage to complete successfully. Certainly, this is a factor that the male gymnasts do not have to contend with, as missing the baron regrasp does not have the same consequences as it would for female gymnasts. This would appear to be one reason that this skill has only recently been performed by a female gymnast.


This paper investigates the long-run impact of inflation on homeowner equity in South Africa by analysing the relationship between house prices and the prices of non-housing goods and services. Quarterly data series are collected for the luxury, large middle-segment, medium middle-segment, small middle-segment and the entire middle segment of house prices, as well as, the consumer price index excluding housing costs for the period 1970:Q1–2011:Q1. Based on autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) models, the empirical results indicate long-run cointegration between the house prices of all the segments and the consumer price index excluding housing costs. Moreover, the long-run elasticity of house prices with respect to prices of non-housing goods and services, i.e., the Fisher coefficient is greater than one for the luxury segment, virtually equal to one for the small middle-segment, and less than one for the large and medium middle-segments, as well as the affordable segments. More importantly though, the estimated Fisher coefficients are not statistically different from unity – a result consistent with the proposed theoretical framework relating housing prices and consumer prices excluding housing expenditure. In general, we infer that house prices in South Africa provide a stable, but quantitatively minor, inflation hedge in the long-run.


The dominant fabric element of the Somport slates of the west-central Pyrenees is a pervasive slaty cleavage of moderate to steep northward dip, attributed to the main phase of Alpine deformation. The slates are locally kinked to lesser dips around sub-horizontal, east-trending kink-fold axes. The morphology and angular relationships of the kink bands attest to an origin by the rotation mechanism, in which cleavage segments of invariant length are externally rotated between the kink-band boundaries. Pervasive slip on the slaty cleavage surfaces predated formation of the kink bands; this slip ended as kinking destroyed the planarity of the cleavage sheets. Additional strain was accommodated by progressive rotation of cleavage segments to lesser dips within kink bands, and by the continued production of new kinks. Later strain increments led to minor rotation of the long cleavage segments between adjacent kink bands (previously a part of the unkinked domain), resulting in interkink dilation of the cleavage laminae and precipitation of calcite in the voids so formed. The formation of microscopic calcite-filled tension cracks spanned the entire deformation. Kinking by the rotation mechanism implies a volume expansion, for the kinked laminae in ideal rotation kinks dilate upon folding. Evidence for such dilation is common in the Somport slates and is normally taken as an indication of deformation at very shallow crustal levels. Bulk strain effects of this late deformation may be summarized as a vertical contraction, a horizontal, north-south expansion, and an overall dilation of the rock mass in which the kinks formed. It is suggested that these structures developed in response to postorogenic uplift and erosional dissection of the Pyrenees, for only then would confining pressures have decreased sufficiently to permit a net dilation during kinking.


The aim of this study was to analyze the bond strength of total-etch and self-etch adhesive systems to dentin of primary and permanent teeth. Methods: Thirty sound naturally exfoliated primary molars deciduous teeth (DT) and thirty sound permanent bicuspids permanent teeth (PT) were randomly divided into six groups (n=10 per group) according to two commercial adhesive systems: Adper Single Bond 2; 3M ESPE (Total-etch) and Adper Easy Bond; 3M ESPE (selfetch and total-etch). Specimens submitted to cyclic loading in a universal Instron testing machine. Bond strength values (MPa) were analyzed by ANOVA test and Duncan post hoc test (a=0.05). Results: Mean values were higher in PT compared to DT. In deciduous teeth, no significantly differences observed. Total etch AdperTM Single Bond 2 showed significantly higher bond strength than self-etch AdperTM with additional acid etching in PT (p=0.031). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the highest bond strength was found in dentin tissue of PT with total etch AdperTM employing the adhesive the Single Bond 2 of one step self-etch.


The paper examined the methodology used for measuring the country's poverty line and poverty rate.  It finds that the poverty line was not based on the cost of meeting an acceptable or minimum standard of living or of meeting basic needs by which to classify families as poor as is customarily done in other countries.  The measure uses a simple construct referred to as subsistence poverty line to establish the overall poverty line. The subsistence poverty line is estimated to be the cost of food consumption of low-income families that meets their nutritional requirements.  Thirty per cent of the subsistence poverty line is added to it to account for all non-food needs. The allotted budget for non-food needs is too low and not sufficient to meet the cost of all non-food basic needs. Consequently, the  poverty line as measured  does not meet all basic needs including food and underestimates the country's poverty rate. The underestimation of the poverty rate is seen in the higher rate of deprivation in particular basic needs such as housing, food consumption and education than the official poverty line. The paper concludes by recommending that the government gives high priority to slum clearance and housing program as a strategy for social and economic development.  Housing for the poor has not been a priority of the government. So far only about 1% of the national budget goes to housing.  At this time, the government has the resources to launch a massive housing program to eradicate the slums in five to ten years time. The paper cites existing and potential sources to finance a massive housing program. It cites the very successful housing program of Singapore and how it contributed to its sustained high rate of economic development. JEL Classification : I32


Our data on ovarian epithelial carcinoma show that within a given stage, regardless of the histologic cell type, the increasingly higher grades have an increasingly poorer prognosis. This suggests that more intensive therapy be considered for all patients with ovarian epithelial carcinomas than is currently undertaken. Specifically, this means that, in addition to the standard modalities, chemotherapy should be considered for all tumors beyond grade 1, stage 1a.


The present paper studies the influence of the inhomogeneous initial stresses in the bi-layered hollow cylinder and it is assumed that these stresses are caused by the hydrostatic pressures acting on the interior and outer free surfaces of the cylinder. The study is made by utilizing the version of the three-dimensional linearized theory of elastic waves in bodies with initial stresses for which the initial stress-strain state in bodies is determined within the scope of the classical linear theory of elasticity. For the solution to the corresponding eigenvalue problem, the discrete-analytical method is employed. Numerical results are presented and analyzed for concrete selected pairs of materials. According to these results and their analyses, it is established that, unlike homogeneous initial stresses, the influence of the inhomogeneous initial stresses on the torsional wave dispersion has not only quantitative but also qualitative character. For instance, in particular, it is established that as a result of the initial stresses caused by the hydrostatic pressure acting in the interior free surface of the cylinder, the cut-off frequency appears for the fundamental dispersive mode and the values of this frequency increase with the intensity of this pressure.


Exhibition at the Goldstein museum of Design, University of Minnesota, 28th September 2003 –4th January 2004. 8 designed artefacts, 2003. The theme of the exhibition was to delineate and comment on the trajectory from education to professional practice. The researcher's contribution was to demonstrate a reverse movement between professional practice and 'the academy' rather than to conform to the prevailing idea that education and training 'led to' professional practice. Therefore professional practices and its disciplines led to research within the academy. The event offered the researcher an especially useful platform to display work and discuss it in an academic forae. Practical experience in formulating design research methodologies had led the researcher to instigate a generative, detailed and structured programme of investigations in to the nature of the written word, resulting in a wide range of typographic experiments. Eight of these were shown focusing respectively on character frequency in the English language, alphabetic form study based on English language frequency analysis, alphabetic character structure analysis, alphabetic character stroke taxonomic analysis, 2 alphabetic character symmetry analyses, 2 generative glyph systems. In addition the logo and corporate identity for iE (a British technology company) were exhibited. Reproductions of some of the works and a short essay appear in the catalogue, ISBN: 0-939719-14-2. This exhibition displayed the design work of ten invited participants including the researcher. In addition 11 juried contributions were also featured


This paper aims to reconsider the manuscript by Jacopo Valvasone (1499-1570), formerly owned by the Earl of Leicester (now British Library, Additional MS 49369), which Theodor Mommsen borrowed and inspected in 1876, just before the publication of the second part of CIL V. In the letter that he wrote to thank the Vicar and Librarian of Halkham Hall, Mommsen declared that Valvasone joined "the the long list of forgers". The analysis of forgeries in Valvasone's manuscript could show whether Mommsen was right in his opinion.


A smart ionic skin patch with on-demand detachable adhesion has been developed as human-machine interface for physiological signal monitoring. In spite of the multifunctions demonstrated by existing ionic skin, it is still difficult to distinguish different signals simultaneously. Moreover, the secondary damages to the tissues are often overlooked when the adhesive materials are removing from the wound. Herein, a multifunctional biomimetic hydrogel with temperature, mechanical, electrical, and pH response is developed. This hydrogel is designed by in situ polymerizing of hydrophilic anion monomers in a natural cationic polysaccharide to construct multifunctional biomimetic ionic channel. Due to the reversible physical cross-linked network and thermosensitivity, the mechanical properties, adhesion, and visual effect of the hydrogel can be tuned by changing hydrogen bonding density via phase transition, thus making it an excellent biosafe material for wearable device. The hydrogel is utilized as skin patch intended for monitoring physiological signals stimulated by physical and chemical changes involving pressure, temperature, pH value, and electrocardiograph. Especially, this ionic skin patch can recognize temperature change signals precisely either in broad or extremely narrow temperature range. This smart skin patch can even recognize the pressure and temperature signals in real time and differentiate the signals simultaneously.


Author(s): Nava, Miguel | Advisor(s): Berk, Arnold J | Abstract: ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATIONAdenovirus small e1a regulates host cell transcriptionbyMiguel NavaMicrobiology, Immunology and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of California, Los Angeles, 2015Professor Arnold J. Berk, Chair The study of adenoviruses has contributed immensely to the understanding of biology. Adenoviruses have been used as a model system to explore the mechanism of cellular transformation. To that end, specific viral encoded genes from the E1A and E1B transcriptional units were shown to be necessary for oncogenic and cellular transformation. Subsequent studies identified E1A and E1B regions encoded proteins that were necessary for transformation and also identified the cellular factors that bound to E1A and E1B encoded proteins. A specific E1A isoform, small e1a, exerts its oncogenic potential by co-opting two key cellular factors- P300 and RB. The advent and wide use of next generation sequencing has facilitated the dissection of transcriptomic questions. Experiments using this technology have confirmed much of the original work about the transcriptional changes that occur following infection with adenoviruses. In addition, new sequencing technology also generates copious amounts of data that can be scrutinized in various manners and lead to new hypotheses. The majority of the work contained in this dissertation employed the use of next generation sequencing. Prior to the wide use of next generation sequencing, researchers utilized tiling array platforms to determine factor binding to limited regions of the genome (ie promoter regions). Using ChIP-chip studies our collaborators and we described how e1a expression resulted in a redistribution of cellular factors known as pocket proteins (RB, p107 and p130) and lysine acetylases p300/CBP. Specifically, we observed that p130, RB and p300 accumulated near the promoters of genes whose expression was repressed 24 hours p.i. Although e1a was no longer present at the promoters of those repressed genes 24 hours p.i., prior data generated by others had found evidence of an e1a-p300-RB trimolecular complex. With next generation sequencing becoming the norm in analyzing the modulation of transcription, we applied this technology to address the changes in cellular transcription that occur after infection with adenoviruses that (of the E1A region) only express small e1a (dl1500), an E1A deletion mutant (dl312), an e1a-P300 binding mutant (e1aP300b-) and an RB binding mutant (e1aRBb-). Using these adenoviruses we conducted RNA-seq before and after infection. Concomitantly, we conducted ChIP-seq for pol2, P300, RB, H3K18ac, H3K27ac, H3K9ac and H3K4me1. We determined that e1a-P300 and e1a-RB interactions are important for the activation and repression of certain clusters of cellular genes. We found that e1a repression of some genes depended on both e1a-P300 and e1a-RB interactions. Moreover, P300 and RB accumulated through the length of these genes following infection with an adenovirus that expresses wt e1a. These results are described in the insertion of Ferrari et al. (2014) as chapter 2 of this dissertation. In Ferrari et al. (2014) we only reported ChIP-seq for pol2 from mock and dl1500 infected cells. We have extended ChIP-seq for pol2 from cells infected with adenoviruses that express wt small e1a, e1aP300b-, e1aRBb- or dl312. Results from these additional pol2 ChIP-seq experiments will be discussed in chapter 3. Furthermore, the use of next generation sequencing in the context of an adenoviral infection has also permitted us to map the binding of pol2, histone modifications (e.g. H3K18ac) and viral transcripts to the viral genome. In chapter 4 of this dissertation we aligned reads from our ChIP-seq data to the viral genome. Recently, we transitioned to human foreskin fibroblasts (HFFs) for our studies and as a result have had to repeat some of the studies originally conducted in IMR90 cells. During 3H-thymidine incorporation experiments to determine whether e1a wt and e1a mutants drove G0/G1 HFF cells into S-phase, we observed that infection with e1aRBb- resulted in 3H-thymidine incorporation similar to e1a wt. This was surprising because e1aRBb- failed to induce genes involved in cell cycle progression. We conducted additional analyses and studies to determine why e1aRBb- caused 3H-thymidine incorporation without induction of S-phase genes. This is the subject of chapter 5.


We have developed a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation setup to analyze superconducting devices for dc electric railway systems. When such superconducting devices are to be installed into a larger system, it is indispensable to characterize their behavior, i.e., their interaction with the system, to assure their reliability in all operating conditions. This is challenging when using full-scale superconducting devices and real power systems because many types of operation and fault cannot be easily demonstrated. Numerical simulation may compensate for that, but complete modeling of superconducting devices has often been difficult because of complicated electromagnetic behavior due to nonlinear transport properties, the transition between superconducting and normal states, and so on. In this paper, we have established an HIL simulation setup by the combination of superconducting hardware and a real-time digital simulator (RTDS). They communicate information about the instantaneous current and voltage values to each other every 50 μs. This enables us to simulate the interaction between superconducting devices and the system for many kinds of operation and fault. Furthermore, it is not necessary to use a full-scale superconducting device, as the signal level from/to the RTDS can be scaled. This will be very attractive for understanding the behavior of a superconducting device by studying a small prototype before developing the full-scale one.


This paper considers a non-stationary dynamic factor model for large datasets to disentangle long-run from short-run co-movements. We first propose a new Quasi Maximum Likelihood estimator of the model based on the Kalman Smoother and the Expectation Maximisation algorithm. The asymptotic properties of the estimator are discussed. Then, we show how to separate trends and cycles in the factors by mean of eigenanalysis of the estimated non-stationary factors. Finally, we employ our methodology on a panel of US quarterly macroeconomic indicators to estimate aggregate real output, or Gross Domestic Output, and the output gap.


In early spring of 2015 the University of Texas at Austin added an option for graduate students to claim and add an ORCID to their ETD submission. UT Austin uses the Vireo submission system for processing ETDs and adding ORCID was done as part of a software upgrade. ORCID are persistent digital identifiers for researchers. They help researchers distinguish their research from everyone else. At the time we weren't prepared to publicize the option, but we want to make it available for anyone to use. We intended to provide education and outreach at some point in the future. In the summer of 2015, library staff noticed that many submissions were coming through Vireo with an ORCID included. An initial look at the data revealed approximately 29% of students had chosen to include an ORCID. This was quite a surprise given the lack of marketing, so in an effort to better understand how many students were choosing this option, we decided to investigate the use of ORCID for all 2015 submissions. A complete assessment of ORCID will be done once all the December 2015 submissions are finished being processed in late February. We intend to look at total numbers, numbers by department, and by degree level (masters vs doctoral). We will present our findings along with plans for marketing efforts to increase the use of ORCID.


Leiomyoma of the seminal vesicles is an extremely rare type of benign tumor of the genitourinary system and can cause lower urinary tract symptoms. Despite their low incidence, these tumors can be identified with transrectal ultrasound of the seminal vesicles during prostate examination. The removal of these tumors is facilitated by a laparoscopic approach.


ABSTRACT Talavera, L.; del Río, L.; and Benavente, J., 2020. UAS-based high-resolution record of the response of a seminatural sandy spit to a severe storm. In: Malvárez, G. and Navas, F. (eds.), Global Coastal Issues of 2020. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 95, pp. 679-683. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Human infrastructures in barrier islands restrict the natural storm-induced overwash needed by these systems to evolve, further increasing their vulnerability in the medium and long term. For this reason, accurate overwash measurements in coastal environments subject to varying degrees of occupation are needed. In this work, two Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) flights were performed over two distinct sectors of a sandy spit located in Cádiz (SW Spain) prior and after the landfall of storm Emma. This storm was a high-energy event that lasted 153 hours,with an average significant wave height of 4 m and a storm peak of 6.81 m., and water levels (tide and surge) of up to 4 m. The images derived from the UAS flights were processed with Structure From Motion (SfM) algorithms using Pix4D software, resulting in high-resolution mosaics and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) of the study area. These allowed (1) the digitization of the washover deposits in both sectors before and after the storm, and (2) the computation of DEMs of Difference (DoDs), which in turn allowed the analysis of volumetric estimates of erosion/accretion triggered by the significant overwash. The results revealed a nonuniform coastal response between both sectors. The area subject to higher degree of development showed a clear restriction in the onshore delivery of sediment during overwash due to the presence of a channel and a road, the coalescence of the nine pre-existing washovers into a unique deposit of 77546 m2, and much higher damage extents and associated recovery costs. In the natural sector, the overwash processes reactivated the three pre-existing washovers (which enlarged their areas up to 200%) with no significant damages reported. These findings serve as examples of coastal responses to future similar hydrodynamic conditions, and suggest that this spit will likely evolve following different trajectories in the long-term.


Since the early 1980s, China has been hailed as the poster child of post-socialist transition, shifting its revolutionary course via a reform that has generated the world's most dynamic growth in GNP and trade over a quarter of a century and elevated it to the forefront of nations attracting foreign investment. Often eclipsed in this glowing picture of reform are enduring, indeed exacerbated, structures of inequality and the vibrant forms of popular resistance these have spawned. So too are the inequalities of the revolutionary era, including both persisting historical legacies and new forms of inequality. This article seeks to provide a framework both for assessing structures of Chinese inequality in successive epochs of revolution and reform and for gauging the changing relationship between social movements and structures of inequality. Three key questions drive the analysis: What are the legacies of the Chinese Revolution for the pursuit of social equality? How has reform restructured patterns of inequality? What is the relationship between the social upheavals that took place during both periods and changing patterns of inequality?


Overlapped FFT has been proposed as a signal detection scheme in dynamic spectrum access to reduce the variance of the noise and improve the detection probability. However, the improvement of the detection probability in the conventional overlapped FFT is bounded with the upper limit of the overlap ratio. This paper proposes a new overlapped FFT scheme using additional frames. In the proposed scheme, in addition to the conventional DFT frames, new frames that consists of multiple subframes with non-continuous samples are constructed and included. It can realize the increase of the number of DFT outputs and the improvement of the detection probability compared with the conventional scheme. Numerical results through computer simulation show that the proposed scheme improves the detection probability by up to 0.07.


The great nineteenth-century English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson received an unusually thorough education in the classical languages, and he remained an active classical scholar throughout his lifetime. His intimate knowledge of both Greek and Latin literature left an indelible stamp on his poetry, both in terms of the sound and rhythm of his verses and in the themes that inspired him. Stateliest Measures, the first full-length study of Tennyson's thematic and metrical uses of classical material, examines the profoundly important role that his classical background played as he fashioned himself into a poet in the 1820s and 30s, and as he defined himself as poet laureate as of 1850. A.A. Markley examines Tennyson's objectives in developing the classical dramatic monologue, which, together with In Memoriam and his experiments with classical meters, indicate the degree to which he patterned himself after the Roman poet Virgil in attempting to provide modern Britain with a literature worthy of a new and rapidly expanding world empire. Stateliest Measures demonstrates that Tennyson's engagement with the long-running and complex nineteenth-century debates concerning Hellenism, Imperialism, and modern British culture was much more profound than his critics have recognized.


Climate change is associated with global health emergencies. School-age children are particularly susceptible to the health effects associated with climate change. School nurses are uniquely positioned to address children's climate-associated illnesses. This article is the first in a series of articles that aims to inform existing knowledge gaps, raise awareness among school nurses, and equip school nurses with the skills they need to protect the health of school-age children. This series of articles will briefly discuss different aspects of the Impact of Climate Change on Human Health diagram, which was created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


This GeoFile is a release of the most current and complete province-wide geochemical data set collected under the Regional Geochemical Survey (RGS) program. This data set was generated by integrating RGS data previously published by the British Geological Survey and Geoscience BC. It was compiled from 111 original sources with 64,828 samples and about 5 million determinations analyzed using 18 methods in 18 laboratories. For the ease of use and consistency with previously published data, the data set is in a flat tabular format. Behind the scenes is the newly developed RGS database that operates through a semi-automated process for data compilation, quality control, upload, and product generation. This RGS database provides a solution for consistent, standardized, and long-term data storage and for timely data update and regular data release. The RGS data set is just one of many potential data products that can be generated from the RGS database.


Introduction Randomised clinical trials (RCTs) have been used to compare and evaluate different types of mesh fixation usually employed to repair open inguinal hernia. However, there is no consensus among surgeons on the best type of mesh fixation method to obtain optimal results. The choice often depends on surgeons' personal preference. This study aims to compare different types of mesh fixation methods to repair open inguinal hernias and their role in the incidences of chronic groin pain, risk of hernia recurrence, complications, operative time, length of hospital stay and postoperative pain, using Bayesian network meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis of RCTs. Methods and analysis A systematic search will be performed using PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) and Chinese Journal Full-text Database, to include RCTs of different mesh fixation methods (or fixation vs no fixation) during open inguinal hernia repair. The risk of bias in included RCTs will be evaluated according to the Cochrane Handbook V.5.1.0. Standard pairwise meta-analysis, trial sequential analysis and Bayesian network meta-analysis will be performed to compare the efficacy of different mesh fixation methods. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval and patient consent are not required since this study is a meta-analysis based on published studies. The results of this network meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. Protocol registration number PROSPERO CRD42015023758.


The plausability of the retracting information, which can affect whether the retracted information be replaced by the retracting information, had not been studied much in previous studies on continued influence effect. An experiment was conducted to investigate how the plausability of a retracting information affects the understanding of an event in which some of the information had been retracted. In the experiment, the plausibility of the retracting information (low versus high) and the manner of correcting information (simple retraction versus supplying an alternative) were manipulated, and the participants were asked to answer memory questions and inference questions. Retracted information was better remembered for memory questions, but was used less frequently for inference questions when the retracting information was less plausible compared to when the retracting information was quite plausible. The results were interpreted to support the 'memory-based' theory of memory updating.


In the Southern Highlands of Tanzania the prevalence of endemic goitre due to iodine deficiency is in the range of 90% and hypothyroidism in the range of 50% of schoolchildren. The present study confirms these data and documents the beneficial effect of Lipiodol injections on thyroid function in children around the age of puberty compared with untreated children from the same villages. On the other hand, a decrease in the prevalence of goitre could not be shown. A beneficial effect is shown for infants of mothers who received iodine during pregnancy. It seems that this form of supplementation is sufficient for breast fed children for more than three years, even when a second child has been delivered in the meantime. In contrast, older siblings of these babies may become hypothyroid when breast feeding is stopped. The determination of thyroid autoantibodies in iodine treated and untreated children and in young adults showed no increasing prevalence of positive findings thus excluding iodine induced chronic thyroiditis at least in the young target population.


Abstract:Scholarship unanimously asserts that the referent of πνεῦμα in Mark 2:8 and 8:12 is Jesus's human spirit. This study in Markan anthropology examines whether the evidence supports this verdict beyond reasonable doubt. Although a reference to Jesus's human spirit is correct, scholarship has not recognised that the divine spirit is in the background. Both external evidence from early Jewish traditions and internal evidence from Mark's Gospel point to a secondary referent of the divine spirit. The argument is that the "human spirit" is not strictly an anthropological category in Mark, but always related to the divine.


Purpose: The PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway is an attractive target in HER2-positive breast cancer that is refractory to anti-HER2 therapy. The hypothesis is that the suppression of this pathway results in sensitization to anti-HER2 agents. However, this combinatorial strategy has not been comprehensively tested in models of trastuzumab and lapatinib resistance. Experimental Design: We analyzed in vitro cell viability and induction of apoptosis in five different cell lines resistant to trastuzumab and lapatinib. Inhibition of HER2/HER3 phosphorylation, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathways was evaluated by Western blotting. Tumor growth inhibition after treatment with lapatinib, INK-128, or the combination of both agents was evaluated in three different animal models: two cell-based xenograft models refractory to both trastuzumab and lapatinib and a xenograft derived from a patient who relapsed on trastuzumab-based therapy. Results: The addition of lapatinib to INK-128 prevented both HER2 and HER3 phosphorylation induced by INK-128, resulting in inhibition of both PI3K/Akt/mTOR and ERK pathways. This dual blockade produced synergistic induction of cell death in five different HER2-positive cell lines resistant to trastuzumab and lapatinib. In vivo, both cell line–based and patient-derived xenografts showed exquisite sensitivity to the antitumor activity of the combination of lapatinib and INK-128, which resulted in durable tumor shrinkage and exhibited no signs of toxicity in these models. Conclusions: The simultaneous blockade of both PI3K/Akt/mTOR and ERK pathways obtained by combining lapatinib with INK-128 acts synergistically in inducing cell death and tumor regression in breast cancer models refractory to anti-HER2 therapy. Clin Cancer Res; 18(9); 2603–12. ©2012 AACR.


A large domestic property with a disproportionately small existing kitchen resulted in the clients desire to extend. The project afforded us the opportunity to internally remodel the dark cellular service spaces to the rear of the property in order to rationalise the internal circulation and combine unused floor space with the new open plan layout.

Bringing natural light deep into the plan was a priority whilst maintaining the features of the existing external wall.

A new timber clad porch completed the project which had an emphasis on storage to meet the families ever growing needs.

General maintenance works were also carried out throughout the main house which included switching the inefficient oil heating system to a sustainably conscious wood pellet boiler.


Historic American Sheet Music . Molly Bragg, Digital Collections Program Manager, Duke University Libraries. URL: http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/hasm/

From medieval manuscripts to parlor songs, musical scores are a popular item for digitization in the United States and Europe. In the United States even libraries with relatively small special collections often hold sheet music from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and many institutions have invested in digitizing this music and posting it online, as few of these documents are under copyright. The larger digital repositories for sheet music include African American Sheet Music hosted by Brown University and the Historic Sheet Music Collection on the Library of Congress's website, as well as the Lester S. Levy Sheet Music Collection at Johns Hopkins/ Peabody and the Digital Collections Archive of Popular American Music at the University of California, Los Angeles.1 Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music Digital Collection (hereafter HASM) is an archive of 3,042 digitized pieces of sheet music (both popular and classical genres) published in the United States between 1850 and 1920.2 The university holds about 20,000 pieces of American sheet music in total, so librarians chose to digitize a representative sample rather than the entire collection. The music was digitized and the database constructed in 1997 and 1998, a lifetime ago in the fast-moving world of the digital humanities.3 While some aspects of the website are showing its age, the database is intuitive to use and contains a wide range of music that makes it a valuable resource for …


Background: Achilles tendon rupture leads to weakness of ankle plantarflexion. Treatment of Achilles tendon rupture should aim to restore function while minimizing weakness and complications of management. Purpose: To determine the influence of factors (age, sex, body mass index [BMI], weight, time from injury to operative repair, and tightness of repair) in the initial surgical management of patients after an acute Achilles tendon rupture on 12-month functional outcome assessment after percutaneous and minimally invasive repair. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: From May 2012 to January 2018, patients sustaining an Achilles tendon rupture receiving operative repair were prospectively evaluated. Tightness of repair was quantified using the intraoperative Achilles tendon resting angle (ATRA). Heel-rise height index (HRHI) was used as the primary 12-month outcome variable. Secondary outcome measures included Achilles tendon total rupture score (ATRS) and Tegner score. Stepwise multiple regression was used to create a model to predict 12-month HRHI. Results: A total of 122 patients met the inclusion criteria for data analysis (mean ± SD age, 44.1 ± 10.8 years; 78% male; mean ± SD BMI, 28.1 ± 4.3 kg/m2). The elapsed time to surgery was 6.5 ± 4.0 days. At 12-month follow-up, patients had an HRHI of 82% ± 16% and performed 82% ± 17% of repetitions compared with the noninjured side. Participants had a mean ATRS of 87 ± 15 and a median Tegner score of 5 (range, 1-9), with a reduction in Tegner score of 2 from preinjury levels. The relative ATRA at 12 months was –4.8° ± 3.9°. Multiple regression identified younger age (B = ±0.006; P < .001) and greater intraoperative ATRA (B = 0.005; P = .053) as predictors of more symmetrical 12-month HRHI (R 2 = 0.19; P < .001; n = 120). Conclusion: Age was found to be the strongest predictor of outcome after Achilles tendon rupture. The most important modifiable risk factor was the tightness of repair. It is recommended that repair be performed as tight as possible to optimize heel-rise height 1 year after Achilles tendon rupture and possibly to reduce tendon elongation.


Background: After head injury, impaired cerebrovascular autoregulation has been associated with abnormally high or low cerebral blood flow. The physiological relevance of cerebral blood flow levels is difficult to assess in these patients, whose cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen (CMRo2) is known to be abnormal. Investigation of these relations requires quantitative measures of cerebral blood flow and CMRO2, to allow assessment of oxygen supply and demand relations. Objectives: To investigate the relation between dysautoregulation and global cerebral oxygen metabolism following head injury. Methods: Using positron emission tomography, global cerebral blood flow, CMRo2, and oxygen extraction fraction were determined in 22 patients who were investigated in 26 examinations on days 1 to 11 (mean (SD), 3.5 (2.3)) after head injury. Cerebrovascular pressure reactivity was assessed using a pressure reactivity index, calculated as the moving linear correlation coefficient between mean arterial blood pressure and intracranial pressure. Outcome was assessed six months after injury using the Glasgow outcome scale. Results: Low CMRo2 was associated with disturbed pressure reactivity (inverse function, R2 = 0.21, p = 0.018) and there was a correlation between disturbed pressure reactivity and oxygen extraction fraction (quadratic function, R2 = 0.55, p = 0.0001). There was no significant relation between pressure reactivity and cerebral blood flow. An unfavourable outcome was associated with disturbed pressure reactivity. There was no significant relation between outcome and CMRo2 or oxygen extraction fraction. Conclusions: There is a close relation between dysautoregulation and abnormal cerebral metabolism but not blood flow. Further studies are needed to determine whether metabolic dysfunction is a result of or a cause of disturbed pressure reactivity, and to establish if there is a relation between cerebral oxygen metabolism and outcome.


The results of scientific research conducted within the framework of the doctoral thesis "Forensic psychiatric evaluation of persons who have committed sexual criminal offenses." For the purposes of the study the author analyzed 287 cases of forensic psychiatric examinations regarding the subject, who committed the sexual offense and were at the forensic psychiatric examination in Kiev city center forensic psychiatric examination in 2000 to 2015 (16 years). To determine the relationship between the degree of opportunities to realize their actions and manage the solution and expert author on the group - "responsibility" - was empirically selected group - "limited responsibility", which was formed artificially, based on the national concept of " limited responsibility ". Revealed that the identified socio-demographic and clinicals in this scientific research can be to determine critera " limited responsibility" in forensic psychiatric examinations persons who have committed sexual offenses.


Abstract : Despite American success in preventing the conquest of South Korea by communist North Korea, the Korean War of 1950-1953 did not satisfy Americans who expected the kind of total victory they had experienced in World War II. In that earlier, larger war, victory over Japan came after two atomic bombs destroyed the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But in Korea five years later, the United States limited itself to conventional weapons. Even after communist China entered the war, Americans put China off-limits to conventional bombing as well as nuclear bombing. Operating within these limits, the U.S. Air Force helped to repel two invasions of South Korea while securing control of the skies so decisively that other United Nations forces could fight without fear of air attack.


Thanks to the improvement of surgical and interventional cardiac procedures, the majority of children with congenital heart defects (CHD) can now be expected to reach adulthood. The number of adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) will inevitably increase, and recent data affirm that in Europe, we are actually faced with an estimated patient population of 2.3 million. These patients, particularly the adults with moderate and highly complex CHD, can be very difficult to manage, and should be treated in few experienced and specialized 'grown-up congenital heart disease' (GUCH) units, concentrating resources, patients, funding, and professional experiences. On 2000, we created a GUCH unit in our hospital that rapidly became a referral centre in Italy for number and complexity of patients treated. The present study is a presentation of how is organized our GUCH unit and a brief overview of our more recent experience with ACHD patients.


The study was carried out in the municipality of Santiago, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, with the objective of evaluating the effect of the application of increasing supplementary irrigation depths on the leaf area index , dry matter accumulation and water use efficiency of Sudan grass (Sorghum sudanense (Piper) Stapf) submitted to four standardization cuts of the aerial part, at 50, 80, 110 and 140 days after sowing (DAS) with irrigation depths of 60%, 80%, 100%, 120% and 140% of the difference between reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and effective precipitation-(EP), plus the control treatment (without irrigation: only EP). Between cuts, leaf area index and shoot dry mass were evaluated every fortnightly. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with six treatments and four blocks, totaling 24 experimental units. Both the leaf area index and the dry mass production showed an increasing behavior until the treatment with 100% of ETo-EP; after this treatment the production was stable, with some of the highest averages in the treatment with 140% ETo-EP, and the lowest averages were observed in the treatment without irrigation. There was a decrease in dry mass production throughout the experiment due to the natural loss of the yield potential of the crop. At second cut (80 DAS), the leaf area index showed the highest values. The highest water use efficiency in the sum of the four cuts was in the treatment with 100% of ETo-EP and the lowest in the treatment with 60% of ETo-EP. Additional keywords: standardization cuts; evapotranspiration; Sorghum sudanense (Piper) Stapf.


The paper analyzes the application of traditional Boston matrix method and three dimensional analysis chart method on product portfolio of metallurgical enterprise, and raises a four dimensional analysis method by inheriting their advantages and improve disadvantages. It is more effectively and practically to establish optimum product portfolio of domestic metallurgical enterprise by the four dimensional analysis method and the four elements are market share, sales growth rate, profitability and sales efficiency. When metallurgical enterprises analyze the optimum product portfolio using four dimensional analysis method, they should take sales efficiency fully into account, adjust product portfolio timely and at last realize the optimum product portfolio.


The accepted method of quality control for technetium-99m (1mTc) sestamibi as published by the manufacturer requires the use of an aluminum oxide-coated plastic thin layer chromatography plate developed with ethanol. This procedure requires meticulous attention to chromatographic technique and requires at least 30 min to complete. We propose a separation of impurities via liquid column chromatography which uses a Sep-Pak alumina N cartridge to provide a faster and simpler method for analysis of the radiochemical purity of mTc sestamibi.


fact that our specimens show new formed blood-vessels in the inflammatory tissue within the vitreous of certain of these eyeballs lends some support to such a contention. The conditions are, however, not quite parallel, the lymph channels in the cornea being, under normal conditions, more definite than those in the vitreous, where the process of nutrition is conducted by osmosis rather than by lymph flow. The vascularization of the cornea takes place much more readily in its more highly organized structure than does the same process in the vitreous. In the end, however, the difference would appear to be a matter of degree rather than of kind. So long as those who use the ferms understand exactly what they mean, little harm can be done, but, isasmuch as those terms will be transmitted to students and to many others, whose comprehension of the position will not be clear, it seems a pity to use the term " hyalitis." The appearances so constantly observed in the vitreous, taken together with those found in several of the optic nerves, would seem to lend strong support to the view that some, at least, of the lymph from the eye takes a backward passage and escapes by channels in, or in the neighbourhood of, the optic nerve. This phenomenon serves to explain the occurrence of optic neuritis as a complication of septic wounds of the anterior segment of the globe.


Sm: In referring to my experiences with cloxacillin; the late Professor Rubbo (Journal, April 26) agreed that this antibiotic was the most suitable for out-patient therapy of staphylococcal infection, but he quoted some in-vitro studies to show that methicillin would be a superior drug when parenteral therapy was indicated. However, other authors, particularly Rollnson," demonstrated that, whereas cloxacillin is more highly protein bound than methicillin, it is approximately ten times more effective in the free state; so that after an equivalent parenteral dose, the ratio of free antibiotic, in serum to the M.LC. of BtaphlllocoCCU8 aureus is the same with both cloxacillin and methicillin. On this basis, It would appear that in-vitro studies fail to demonstrate any dUference in the potential clinical efficacy of these antibiotics and, In our own clinical experience, we have found them to be satisfactory alternatives for the treatment of severe staphylococcal infection.


Podospora bullata sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on five kangaroo dung collections from Australia. The species is placed in the genus Podospora based on its teleomorph morphology and its ITS sequence from a fertile homothallic axenic culture. Perithecial necks are adorned with prominent simple unswollen filiform flexuous and non-agglutinated greyish hairs. Ascospores are characterized by minute pedicels, lack of caudae and an enveloping frothy gelatinous material with bubble-like structures both in the amorphous gel and attached to the ascospore dark cell. No anamorph was observed


Abstract This paper focuses on an analytical and numerical investigation of aluminium brackets used to fasten light-weight curtain walls to building facilities. The authors propose a solution to increase the load capacity of aluminium brackets by means of additional cover plates (straps). This paper also includes a short survey of literature and material properties concerning the EN AW-6060 T6 aluminium alloy. This paper suggests an initiation of a comprehensive investigation on aluminium brackets.


Gunung Anyar Tambak is one of the villages that is located adjacent to the UPN "Veteran" campus in East Java. Most (2/3) of the Gunung Anyar Tambak area is the pond area, which has the main yield is milkfish. Besides being sold in fresh form, milkfish from ponds from Gunung Anyar Tambak are also processed into a variety of processed products including shredded, crackers, soft thorns and milkfish "sapit". Milkfish "Sapit" is a processed milkfish which is unique in its serving. The milkfish are clamped using bamboo stems and then processed using a choice of spices that make a distinctive taste in this dish. Processing by burning, causing a distinctive aroma that is not forgotten. Barokah is one of the community groups of "sapit" milkfish processing in RW I of Gunung Anyar Tambak Village which consists of 6 people. Chairman of UD. Barokan is Hj's. Khasibah, explained that most of the milkfish produced are only fulfilling orders from the surrounding area and orders from outside the city to be used as souvenirs typical of Surabaya. From observations and interviews it is known that the problem in processing milkfish is a very simple packaging that is a very thin plastic bag that is not closed. The second problem is that the packaging has no labeling at all, even though the label can identify the identity of the product in the package. The importance of labels on food products in addition to being the identity of the packaged product is also a communication between producers and consumers. Therefore a very absolute label must be given to the marketed food products. Training has been conducted on packaging and labeling milkfish "sapit" in UD. BAROKAH, Gunung Anyar Tambak, Surabaya. Before being packed with a vacuum packer, milkfish saplings are first dried in a cabinet dryer for 3 hours at 60°C. Labeling on milkfish packaging is in accordance with the law on food labeling on primary (plastic) and secondary (carton) packaging. In addition to providing training, our team also donates dryers and Vacuum Sealers.


&NA; A number of neurodegenerative diseases can manifest as parkinsonian disorders. Structural imaging, such as CT and MRI, is of limited value for differentiating these diseases. PET can demonstrate the selective patterns of disruption of regional cerebral metabolism and neurotransmitter systems associated with subcortical degenerations, such as Parkinson's disease, striatonigral degeneration, progressive supranuclear palsy, and corticobasal degeneration. It can also determine, where underlying Parkinson's disease may be suspected, whether nigral dysfunction is present in patients with isolated tremor or drug‐associated rigidity. Finally, PET can detect the presence of subclinical disruption of the dopaminergic system in at‐risk subjects, such as relatives of patients with Parkinson's disease, or subjects exposed to nigral toxins, such as MPTP. With the advent of putative neuroprotective agents for Parkinson's disease, PET can help identify patients with early disease who might benefit from therapy with these agents and monitor their disease progression.


The emergence of planners capable of reasoning with continuous dynamics, as expressed in PDDL+, has increased the range of problems that fall within the capabilities of PDDL planners. One such problem is planning patients' activities and medication regimes, considering non-linear medication pharmacokinetics. In this paper we explore the application of contemporary PDDL+ planners to this problem. To address their performance limitations, we present a linearize–validate cycle; tasks are solved by iterative refinement of a linear approximation of the domain, solved by a linear planner, then validated at each stage against the full non-linear semantics. In doing this we allow this domain to fall within the capabilities of current planners; and in our evaluation we use OPTIC to demonstrate this.


Lender of last resort (LOLR) is perhaps a central bank's most controversial role. On the one hand, emergency liquidity assistance to financial institutions is a core responsibility of central banks. This is because of central banks' unique ability to create liquid assets in the form of central bank reserves, their central position within the payment system and their macroeconomic stabilisation objective. On the other hand, central bank LOLR is seen as very risky; as it potentially creates moral hazard on a massive scale, exposes the central bank to large financial risks, and blurs the boundary with fiscal policy. Moreover, liquidity assistance to individual institutions is typically deeply unpopular, creating reputation risks.The financial crisis served as a reminder of the critical importance of the LOLR in restoring financial stability. But it also raised fundamental questions about the design of LOLR frameworks and the execution of LOLR policies. How to strike the right balance between limiting risks for central banks and ensuring that the LOLR function can be performed effectively when needed? Should central banks be ambiguous in public about the terms and conditions of liquidity support? Or is there a case for well-articulated LOLR policies, communicated ex ante as part of a broader financial stability framework?This BIS workshop explored these issues, with a view to providing input into the discussions among central banks, and the public debate more generally. While there was broad agreement that liquidity support during the crisis was key in stabilising the global financial system, the discussions highlighted a number of challenges regarding LOLR policies. These included effective ways of dealing with stigma, questions regarding the design of LOLR policies in a market-based financial system, how to contain moral hazard, and issues of governance of LOLR policies, particularly against the backdrop of evolving financial stability frameworks. Finally, the question of optimal mechanisms for liquidity assistance in foreign currency remains an open one.The workshop was organised in three sessions plus a working lunch. The first session, chaired by Hiroshi Nakaso (Bank of Japan), reviewed the experience of major central banks with LOLR measures during the financial crisis. Bill Nelson (Federal Reserve) opened the discussion with an assessment of the Fed's actions during the crisis. Francesco Papadia (Bruegel) continued the panel with a discussion of how the European Central Bank (ECB) addressed interbank liquidity shortages and wider market dysfunction during the crisis. Andrew Hauser reviewed the Bank of England's experience during the crisis. Jose Sidaoui (former Bank of Mexico) provided the perspective of a major emerging market economy (EME), where the foreign exchange market served as a key transmission mechanism of liquidity stress. Hiroshi Nakaso concluded the first session with a review of Bank of 2 BIS Papers No 79 Japan experiences during the 1990s banking crises and new aspects of LOLR action that emerged during the recent financial crisis.The second session, chaired by Claudio Borio (BIS), discussed how post-crisis changes in the financial system affected the central bank's role as LOLR. Perry Mehrling (Columbia University) led off with a discussion of new demands on LOLR associated with a market-based credit system. Lex Hoogduin (University of Amsterdam) discussed the relationship between the LOLR and self-insurance against liquidity risk. Morten Bech (BIS) presented several practical proposals for incorporating liquidity insurance through the central bank into bank liquidity regulation. Tim Lane (Bank of Canada) concluded the panel with a short summary of recent and ongoing work on collateral markets in the Committee on the Global Financial System (CGFS).Sir Paul Tucker (Harvard University) delivered the keynote speech at the working lunch. The speech and the ensuing discussion focused on the issues of LOLR governance. The third session, chaired by Hyun Song Shin (BIS), focused on the international dimensions of LOLR regimes. Jean-Pierre Landau (Sciences Po) opened the panel discussion with a proposal for a multilateral foreign currency liquidity arrangement that would reduce inefficient accumulation of foreign exchange reserves as a means to provide self-insurance. Giovanni Dell'Ariccia (IMF) discussed the relative merits of self-insurance through foreign exchange reserves, bilateral central bank swap arrangements, multilateral arrangements and IMF credit lines. Michael Dooley (University of California) then discussed the constraints that EME central banks faced in obtaining foreign currency insurance. Finally, Steve Cecchetti (Brandeis University) concluded the panel with a discussion of the implications of the US dollar's role as a reserve currency for the design of international liquidity support arrangements.Full publication: Re-Thinking the Lender of Last Resort


This paper establishes a unified model of a multi-machine power system installed with three types of FACTS-based stabilizer, which is an extension of the work presented in part I of this paper. The application of the unified model is demonstrated by the damping torque analysis of multi-machine power systems, the conclusion of which is that the damping function of FACTS-based stabilizers can be interpreted as an addition of damping torque on every generator in the system. Three indices are proposed for the selection of the best installing location of FACTS-based stabilizers in multi-machine power systems, the use of which depends on the extent of available system information.


Abstract Rhinoplasty is one of the most popular surgical cosmetic treatments. Measuring the appearance of the nose has typically involved the use of observer- or surgeon-reported outcome measures (e.g., photographs). While objective outcomes are important, facial appearance is subjective, and therefore outcome assessment should incorporate the patient perspective through the use of patient-reported outcome measures. This study aims to explore relationships between FACE-Q scales scores and measuring adverse effects and change 4 months after surgery in a United Kingdom sample. A questionnaire booklet was completed by patients seeking rhinoplasty between March 2014 and March 2015. The study was conducted at a facial plastic surgery clinic office in London, United Kingdom. Pre- and postoperative rhinoplasty patients aged 19 years and older participated in the study. FACE-Q scales/checklist was utilized for the study. A total of 54 preoperative patients completed seven FACE-Q scales. Before surgery, characteristics of the nose that our sample at least satisfied (i.e., at the harder end of the clinical hierarchy) included the tip of the nose, and how the nose looked in photos and from different angles. In preoperative participants, lower scores for satisfaction with nose and/or nostrils correlated with lower satisfaction with facial appearance and appearance-related psychosocial distress. Participants (N = 13) who had surgery reported significant improvement in satisfaction with the nose, nostrils, and facial appearance overall, and improved psychological and social function. Standardized response means ranged from 0.65 (social function) to 1.55 (facial appearance). The FACE-Q rhinoplasty module can be used in clinical practice, research, and quality improvement to incorporate the patient perspective of appearance in outcome assessments. The level of evidence is defined as level III (diagnostic).


The year 2003 will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Revista Española de Anestesiología y Reanimación (Spanish Journal of Anesthesiology and Postoperative Recovery). For that reason, it is appropriate to explore some of the details of the journal's early history. In 1954 and 1955 two official journals of anesthesiology co-existed in Spain: Revista Española de Anestesiología, which was the official organ of the Spanish Society of Anesthesiology and Postoperative Recovery, and Hypnos, which was the bulletin of the Association of Anesthesia of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Barcelona. The two publications merged in 1956 as Revista Española de Anestesiología, thereby forming the journal whose name eventually became Revista Española de Anestesiología y Reanimación.


The characteristic feature of meningococcal polycomponent vaccine is the serological heterogeneity of immune response to the injection of this vaccine, which is due to the fact that the vaccine contains antigens to antibodies detected in meningococcal antisera of all known serogroups: A, B, C, D, X, Y, Z, 29-E and W-135. The hyperimmunization of rabbits with meningococcal polycomponent vaccine results in the formation of antibodies to more than 20 different meningococcal cell-wall antigens occurring in different combinations in 23 strains isolated from patients and in museum strains of every known meningococcal serogroup, as well as antibodies to serogroup A meningococcal lipopolysaccharide. The above-mentioned heterogeneity of immune response to the injection of meningococcal vaccine is observed in the hyperimmunization of rabbits, in the vaccination of humans in a single injection and can be detected in immune sera by the precipitation test, by counter and two-dimensional electrophoresis and by the passive hemagglutination test with erythrocytes sensitized with group-specific polysaccharides.


With recent US political and strategic goals unmet after ineffective diplomatic efforts and economic sanctions, some commentators and foreign policy experts have begun urging American strategists to employ military force to effect change in Iran's domestic and foreign policies. Presumably inspired by American success in establishing a US-friendly regime in neighbouring Iraq, such commentators suggest that a similar strategy of overwhelming military force could overcome the existing military and political structure of Iran and establish a pro-Western regime in its place. Such notions, however, rely on ignorance of one of the most basic elements of Iran: her geography. This ignorance, in turn, renders all such notions of military invasion not only unimaginable in theory but impossible in practice.The current paper begins with a short precis of the regime change via invasion rhetoric in the United States with particular focus on the recurring references to US air power despite its lack of historical utility in effecting regime change without associated ground forces. Then, drawing on a broad geopolitical literature from Mackinder in 1904 through to Gray and Friedman in the present, this paper explains how Iran's geography, while not offering protection from air strikes, does render it largely protected from enemy invasion and occupation. With specific reference to the geographical barriers that are the Zagros and Alborz Mountains and the inhospitable Kavir and Lut Deserts, this paper demonstrates that attempts by enemies of Iran to force regime change through the use of air power alone or a combination of air and land military elements are inevitably bound to fail. In concluding the paper, it is suggested that this inescapable geopolitical reality should encourage US policymakers to consider carefully their positions on Iran and seek non-military means by which to engage with one of Asia's historical and strategic nations.


Advancement in connected technologies, known as the fourth industrial revolution, is a driver of progress for our generation. The benefits of progress are not evenly distributed, as regions of concentrated technological innovation disrupt industries in other regions, such as in many parts of Canada. In the face of a combination of external and internal factors, Canada is at an inflection point. Canadian leaders in industry, government and university are looking to strengthen Toronto's innovation ecosystem as a method for reducing the gap in Canada's technological progress. The technology hub in the San Francisco Bay Area, known as Silicon Valley, is considered the benchmark for an innovation ecosystem. Leaders in Toronto are attempting to replicate its properties in developing Internet applications, with some calling Toronto 'the Silicon Valley of the North'. In this paper, the author argues that Toronto is not the Silicon Valley of the North by describing innovation ecosystem components and behaviours, examining the components, behaviours and history of Silicon Valley, and comparing the components, behaviours and history of Toronto. Although Silicon Valley currently dominates innovation in consumer applications and Internet technologies, the author argues that the region is really differentiated by its ability to incubate creative destruction cycles—otherwise known as the successful transition between periods of disparate innovations. The author suggests this was made possible with decades of building the region's entrepreneurial culture, resource mobility, regulation flexibility, and concentration of people, technology and capital. In contrast, Toronto industry is largely concentrated in financial services, tightly-regulated and historically dependent on U.S. innovations. The author recommends that in order for Toronto to thrive as an innovation ecosystem, the region should avoid replicating Silicon Valley's technology-driven innovation in consumer applications. Instead, Toronto should focus on amplifying the region's unique properties (its affordances)—including its expertise in finance, its diversity, its relatively open immigration policies and its affinity for government partnerships—to apply Silicon Valley innovations in unlocking the value of revolutionizing entire industries.


STUDY OBJECTIVES
Women in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle exhibit better cognitive performance overnight than women in the follicular phase, although the mechanism is unknown. Given the link between core body temperature (CBT) and performance, one potential mechanism is the thermoregulatory role of progesterone (P4), estradiol (E2), and their ratio (P4/E2), which change across the menstrual cycle. We examined the role of P4/E2 in modulating performance during extended wake in premenopausal women. Additionally, we compared the acute effects of nighttime light exposure on performance, CBT, and hormones between the menstrual phases.

METHODS
Participants were studied during a 50 h constant routine and a 6.5 h monochromatic nighttime light exposure. Participants were 16 healthy, naturally cycling women (eight follicular; eight luteal). Outcome measures included reaction time, attentional failures, self-reported sleepiness, CBT, melatonin, P4, and E2.

RESULTS
As compared to women in the luteal phase, women in the follicular phase exhibited worse performance overnight. CBT was significantly associated with performance, P4, and P4/E2 but not with other sex hormones. Sex hormones were not directly related to performance. Light exposure that suppressed melatonin improved performance in the follicular phase (n = 4 per group) to levels observed during the luteal phase and increased CBT but without concomitant changes in P4/E2.

CONCLUSIONS
Our results underscore the importance of considering menstrual phase when assessing cognitive performance during sleep loss in women and indicate that these changes are driven predominantly by CBT. Furthermore, this study shows that vulnerability to sleep loss during the follicular phase may be resolved by exposure to light.


BACKGROUND
Poor healthcare-seeking behaviour is a major contributing factor for increased morbidity and mortality among children in low- and middle-income countries. This study assessed the individual and community level factors associated with healthcare-seeking behaviour for childhood illnesses among mothers of children under five in Chad.

METHODS
The study utilized data from the 2014-2015 Chad Demographic and Health Survey. A total of 5,693 mothers who reported that their children under five had either fever accompanied by cough or diarrhea or both within the two weeks preceding the survey were included in this study. The outcome variable for the study was healthcare-seeking behaviour for childhood illnesses. The data were analyzed using Stata version 14.2. Multilevel binary logistic regression model was employed due to the hierarchical nature of the dataset. Results were presented as adjusted odds ratios (aOR) at 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS
Out of the 5,693 mothers who reported that their children under five had either fever accompanied by cough, diarrhea or both at any time in the 2 weeks preceding the survey, 79.6% recalled having sought treatment for their children's illnesses. In terms of the individual level factors, mothers who faced financial barriers to healthcare access were less likely to seek healthcare for childhood illnesses, relative to those who faced no financial barrier (aOR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.65-0.99). Mothers who reported that distance to the health facility was a barrier were less likely to seek healthcare for childhood illnesses, compared to those who faced no geographical barrier to healthcare access (aOR = 79, 95% CI = 0.65-0.95). Mothers who were cohabiting were less likely to seek healthcare for childhood illnesses compared to married mothers (aOR = 0.62 95% CI = 0.47-0.83). Lower odds of healthcare seeking for childhood illnesses was noted among mothers who did not listen to radio at all, relative to those who listened to radio at least once a week (aOR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.55-0.91). Mothers who mentioned that their children were larger than average size at birth had a lesser likelihood of seeking childhood healthcare, compared to those whose children were of average size (aOR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.66-0.95). We further noted that with the community level factors, mothers who lived in communities with medium literacy level were less likely to seek childhood healthcare than those in communities with high literacy (aOR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.53-0.99).

CONCLUSION
The study revealed that both individual (financial barriers to healthcare access, geographical barriers to healthcare access, marital status, frequency of listening to radio and size of children at birth) and community level factors (community level literacy) are associated with healthcare-seeking behaviour for childhood illnesses in Chad. The government of Chad, through multi-sectoral partnership, should strengthen health systems by removing financial and geographical barriers to healthcare access. Moreover, the government should create favourable conditions to improve the status of mothers and foster their overall socio-economic wellbeing and literacy through employment and education. Other interventions should include community sensitization of cohabiting mothers and mothers with children whose size at birth is large to seek healthcare for their children when they are ill. This can be done using radio as means of information dissemination.


The Kenya government outlawed Physical Punishment in schools through enactment of The Basic Education Act (2013). This was as a result of the recommendations of the Task Force on Student Discipline and Unrests in Secondary Schools which revealed that Physical Punishment was one of the major contributors to indiscipline among students. Despite the ban the level of indiscipline in schools had remained a major concern in Ugenya, Gem and Siaya sub-counties, where cases of indiscipline for the years 2010-2015 were 514 (51%) higher than those experienced in Siaya County, 694 (44.1%) and national, 22050 (42.7%) for the same period. Therefore the objective of the study was to establish the influence of Physical Punishment ban on the level of student discipline in secondary schools in Ugenya, Gem and Siaya sub- counties. Discipline and organization among students in schools is vital in creating a conducive environment for learning. Discipline is a big concern for the teacher because the success or failure of a teacher or a principal of a school depends on it. Therefore students discipline is a critical factor in judging the performance of teacher. Besides, teachers are in loco parentis while a child is in school; they serve as surrogate parents. It is on this basis that teachers in Kenya were legally permitted to use physical punishment in 1972 through Legal Notice No. 40 of 1972. However, in 2001, the same Legal Notice was overturned by Legal Notice No. 56 of 2001, Children Act 2001, Constitution of Kenya, 2010 and The Basic Education Act 2013 because the disadvantages of use of physical punishment outweighed its advantage. It was also against the universal Declaration of Human Rights, that no person should be subjected to degrading treatment, torture and inhuman treatment, a product of United Nation to which Kenya is a signatory. It was also ostensibly against Kenya's penal code. The study established that physical punishment ban in secondary schools was about 60%. The relationship between the physical punishment and level of student discipline was high, positive and statistically significant. Regression analysis revealed that increase in the increased level of student discipline in public secondary schools. Physical punishment means inflicting pain to a person's body. The forms of physical punishment include: canning, slapping, pinching, manual work, sitting in hot sun, kneeling, punching, running around school, play grounds, smacking, fetching water from streams, and spanking. The infractions to which these forms of physical punishment were found applied included: violence upon teachers and other fellow students, robbery, engaging in habitual profanity, vulgarity, sexual assault, terrorist threat against school authority extortion, death threats, drug abuse, vandalism, theft, disobedience, sneaking from school, truancy, possession of inflammable substances, firearms, gay, physical attacks, fighting, sexual harassment, bullying, noise making, unrest, strikes, fornication and flirtation. Prior to the ban the level of student discipline had seriously deteriorated to the extent that some parents were withdrawing their children from schools, which had been perceived earlier as havens of peace and institutions of character building apart from talent development and expertise re-engineering.